Denver Housing Authority Begins Radon Mitigation Installation In Public Housing Units

DENVER (CBS4) - After CBS4 Investigates found high radon levels in some Denver public housing units, the Denver Housing Authority is installing radon mitigation systems at the Columbine Homes public housing complex to protect residents. DHA plans to test, and mitigate as needed, every unit in its public housing portfolio over the next two years.

Maria Chacón, a retired waitress, is one of the first residents to receive a mitigation system in her unit at Columbine Homes, located in Denver's Valverde neighborhood off of Alameda Avenue, just to the west of Interstate 25. It was installed in February.

"This is going to be a benefit for the entire community," Chacón said in an interview with CBS4 Investigates translated from Spanish.

What Is Radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas that comes up naturally through the ground, but when it gets trapped in your home, it can be inhaled at highly concentrated levels and can cause lung cancer.

The EPA says radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in the U.S., killing about 21,000 people a year. Yet CBS4 Investigates found there's no law requiring public housing to undergo radon testing or mitigation.

CBS4 Investigates 2020 Radon Testing Results Generating Action

In January 2020, CBS4 Investigates hired a nationally certified radon testing company - Area 5280 Home Inspections - to put sensors in five units of two different public housing communities: Columbine Homes and Westridge Homes. The testing was conducted in February 2020.

Both of the results in the Columbine Homes complex were twice the EPA's safe indoor radon limit, which is 4 picocuries per liter. The two results were 8.4 pCi/l and 7.8 pCi/l.

In the Westridge Homes complex, one result was just under the EPA's limit, at 3.2 pCi/l. Two other results were far below the limit, at 1.0 pCi/l and 0.7 pCi/l.

Now, two years later, DHA says it has finished its own testing of all 200 units at Columbine homes, and is working to install radon mitigation system in every unit by June.

"When the reports came out about some of the preliminary testing out of Columbine Homes, we thought it important to move on that testing, and then put a plan together for operating procedures, then installation of radon devices," DHA executive Director David Nisivoccia told CBS4's Kati Weis in an interview Monday. "Anytime anybody brings attention to an issue or a detail that the agency has been working on and trying to line up, it gives us impetus to make sure that we follow through. So I appreciate that greatly."

DHA tells CBS4 that in its complete testing of Columbine Homes, 75 apartments tested above the EPA's 4 pCi/l action level limit and nine tested within a 0.3 pCi/l variance of the limit, for a total of 84 units at or above the EPA's action level.

The highest result found was 14.1 pCi/l, and the lowest was less than 0.3 pCi/l.

DHA says 116 apartments tested below the safe limit.

Nisivoccia says even though not every unit above the EPA's safe limit, it was important for DHA to go ahead and install mitigation systems in all of them.

"In the units that tested below, to me, we should still take the step of ensuring people's safety and health in general, and you know, dynamics change when it comes to earth-building contact, and how the earth evolves over time," Nisivoccia explained. "So, it's better to be prudent and be proactive and put those testing units and those mitigation devices in, even if someone didn't test in their unit above levels, because it could change."

While the pandemic slowed action efforts, Nisivoccia says DHA has also tested and cleared community spaces.

Once all mitigation systems are installed in every unit at the Columbine Homes complex, Nisivoccia says DHA will begin testing another complex, and installing mitigation systems if the results are high enough. He says federal grant money will pay for those testing and mitigation efforts.

"This is a historic time for people in our industry," Nisivoccia said. "I've never seen resources provided organizations like ourselves in my 61 years on this planet that is being provided to us now."

Nisivoccia says DHA is still working to determine which property will be tackled next.

"We'll be going through that process of identifying priority properties... our plan is to have that all completed, hopefully within within 18 months to two years, because that's how important we think this issue is," Nisivoccia said.

He says after all mitigation devices are installed, follow up testing will be conducted to ensure the systems are working properly.

Nisivoccia also says community meetings will be held at each property to inform residents of the testing and mitigation efforts. He says informational papers will also be given to residents when testing is conducted in their units.

"Not only we will give them the information on the device, and the reasons behind it, but we're also going to provide that in multiple languages, understanding that we have a resident base that's rather diverse," Nisivoccia said. "So we'll make sure that we provide the information in the language that they understand, and then we'll address any questions they have, because we don't want them to be uncomfortable or unclear as to why we're going down this pathway, when it's all about residents' safety and security."

Chacón remains skeptical, saying she didn't receive much information about the radon testing or mitigation installation that was done in her unit.

"They sent a note from the housing that they were going to put a little package here for the radon, and they didn't give me too much explanation, and then in three days they picked it up," she recalled.

Regardless, she's hopeful these mitigation efforts will make a difference for her and her neighbors.

"Most of the people who live around here, they are sick with one thing or another... we are people with problems, we don't have jobs that pay well, we are people with little resources," Chacón said. "This problem is like a ticking bomb, it's a slow death, but it kills... (but this investigation) makes me feel more optimistic for everyone's health."